8 Essential On-Page SEO Techniques Every Affiliate Marketer Must Know to Rank 1

On-Page SEO

When you’re diving into the world of affiliate marketing, understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a must. SEO can make or break your affiliate website. If you want to get your content in front of the right audience, getting your on-page SEO right is essential. Whether you’re just starting or refining your strategy, this On-Page SEO Glossary will help you understand the basics and improve your website’s search engine ranking.

Page 1: Page Basics

Page Basics are the most fundamental elements of any webpage. These include Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, Meta Tags, and HTML Tags. Think of these elements as your website’s first impression. They’re the first things search engines and visitors see.

  • Title Tags are crucial because they appear in search engine results as the clickable headline. It needs to be clear, concise, and contain your primary keyword.
  • Meta Descriptions provide a summary of your page’s content and appear beneath the title tag in search results. A good meta description helps entice users to click on your page.
  • Meta Tags are HTML elements that provide information about your webpage. These include keywords, descriptions, and author details, helping search engines better understand the page content.
  • HTML Tags help define the structure of your content and organise it for both users and search engines.

To dive deeper into how to optimise these, check out our Page Basics guide.

Page 2: Structure and Headings

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk about the Structure and Headings of your webpage. Proper structure is key to making your content both user- and SEO-friendly. A well-organised page helps Google’s crawlers understand the flow of your content, and it also makes your page more readable.

  • H1 Tags represent the main heading of your page and are typically used for the title. Make sure your H1 tag is clear, concise, and contains your primary keyword.
  • H2/H3 Tags break your content into smaller sections, making it more scannable for both users and search engines. These tags help organise long-form content.
  • URL Structure should be clean and SEO-friendly. Use readable URLs that include your target keywords.
  • Canonical Tags help prevent duplicate content issues by telling search engines which version of a page is the “master” or preferred version.
  • Breadcrumb Navigation provides a trail for users to follow, making your site easier to navigate and improving the user experience.

If you want to learn more about how to structure your pages for better SEO, visit our detailed Structure and Headings guide.

Page 3: Content and Readability

Once your page is structured correctly, it’s time to focus on Content and Readability. High-quality content is the backbone of any successful SEO strategy. It’s not just about the words you use, it’s about how those words are formatted and how they meet the needs of your target audience.

  • Content Optimisation means making your content engaging, informative, and aligned with user intent.
  • Content Formatting involves breaking large chunks of text into sections with headings, bullet points, images, and videos. This improves readability and user engagement.
  • Content Length Optimisation involves finding the right balance in your content length. Too short, and it won’t be informative; too long, and it may bore your audience.
  • Content Relevance ensures your content aligns with the keywords you’re targeting and your audience’s needs.
  • Content Freshness refers to regularly updating your content to keep it current and valuable.
  • Readability is crucial because if your visitors can’t easily read and digest your content, they’ll leave. Tools like Hemingway and Grammarly can help improve readability.

To get a deeper dive into how to optimise your content for SEO, check out our complete guide on Content and Readability.

Page 4: Keywords and Intent

At the heart of SEO lies Keywords and Intent. Understanding how to target and use keywords properly will significantly impact your rankings. But it’s not just about throwing keywords into your content—it’s about understanding user intent and crafting content that aligns with it.

  • Keyword Placement is essential for ensuring that your keywords are naturally integrated into the page. Use keywords in your titles, headings, and throughout the content.
  • Keyword Density refers to the percentage of times your keyword appears in relation to the total word count. Too many keywords can hurt your ranking, so it’s essential to strike a balance.
  • Keyword Optimisation is about ensuring you use the most relevant and high-performing keywords in your content.
  • Search Intent Matching aligns your content with the user’s search intent, whether they are looking for informational, navigational, or transactional content.
  • Semantic Keywords and LSI Keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing) help search engines better understand the context of your content. These are keywords that are related to your primary keyword and help make your content more comprehensive.

For more details, you can check out our Keywords and Intent guide.

Page 5: Media and Images

Visual content plays a huge role in the user experience and SEO. Media and Images need to be optimised so they don’t slow down your site while also contributing to your content’s overall value.

  • Image Alt Text describes images to search engines and visually impaired users. It’s essential for SEO and accessibility.
  • The alt attribute is an HTML attribute that describes an image. It’s another opportunity to optimise your content with keywords.
  • Image optimisation is the process of compressing images to improve load times without sacrificing quality. Google values fast-loading websites, and optimised images improve performance.

To learn more about how to optimise your images for SEO, head over to Media and Images.

Page 6: Links and Navigation

Links and Navigation are critical for guiding both users and search engines through your website. Well-structured links help improve your page’s authority and usability.

  • Internal Links connect different pages on your site. This helps search engines crawl your site more effectively and boosts your site’s SEO.
  • External/Outbound Links refer to linking to external websites. When you link to high-authority sources, it can boost the credibility of your own site.
  • Anchor Text is the clickable text that’s used in a hyperlink. This text should describe the page it’s linking to and, where appropriate, include keywords.

If you’re interested in learning how to effectively use links and improve your site’s Navigation, check out our Links and Navigation guide.

Page 7: User Experience, Speed, and Behaviour

Google places a significant emphasis on User Experience (UX), Speed, and Behaviour when ranking pages. If your website doesn’t load quickly or doesn’t offer a good experience, you’ll likely lose out on both users and search rankings.

  • Mobile Optimisation ensures that your site is responsive and works well on mobile devices, which is especially important given the growing number of mobile users.
  • Page Speed impacts both user experience and SEO. Slow-loading pages lead to higher bounce rates and lower rankings.
  • Engagement Metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Dwell Time (how long users stay on your page) help Google understand how valuable your content is to users.

For more on improving user experience and speed, head to User Experience, Speed, and Behaviour.

Page 8: Extra SEO Power and Conversions

Finally, let’s talk about some extra SEO power that can push your rankings and conversions to the next level.

  • Schema Markup adds structured data to your website, helping search engines better understand your content. It can also lead to rich snippets in search results, which increases visibility.
  • Call to Action (CTA) is essential for converting visitors into customers. A well-placed CTA can significantly increase your conversions.

For more tips on how to boost your SEO and conversions, visit our Extra SEO Power and Conversions guide.

Conclusion

On-page SEO is an ongoing effort, but with the right strategies and a little patience, you can see great results. By optimising your Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, content, and technical SEO elements, you’ll be well on your way to improving your rankings. Start implementing these practices, and you’ll soon see improvements in your affiliate marketing efforts.

Tools like Ubersuggest, SEMRush, Rank Math, and Ahrefs can help you check your On-Page SEO score & performance.

Let us know if you have any questions or need further clarification on any of these terms. We’re here to help you succeed!